On Tuesday, 2/23/16, Musicians For Musicians (MFM) held its third open public meeting at CA Music Room. The attendance was a bit thin, but considering the miserable weather, this was no surprise.

After the ritualistic opening of the meeting with a musical offering (this time, it was MFM founder Sohrab Saadat’s solo saxophone exploration of his composition “Sad Sake”), the discourse and dialogue over the processes, possibilities, and definitions of MFM and its agenda began to take shape.

On Monday, 1/25/16, I attended the second public meeting of Musicians for Musicians (MFM). The regular DBDBD reader will recall my article about the first meeting wherein I mentioned that, as a milestone in the fledgling organization’s humble beginning, it was a successful first step. Now, MFM takes its second step.

MFM founder and president Sohrab Saadat Ladjavardi held court once again for the second meeting. The tradition of a musical interlude, started by Saadat at the first meeting, was led by Zikrayat leader Sami Abu Shumays. He led the participants in a vocal call and response that allowed the participants to experience firsthand the nuances of maqam based melodies.

Back in October, Karoline Kramer-Gould, the courageous music director of WJCU in Cleveland made history and broke ranks with broadcasters by co-writing an open letter with me––to Congress––in support of artists’ rights.

She is the first radio-station music director to openly support artists’ pay for radio play, and she has paid the ultimate professional price, and left the station as a result.

So many of the issues we’ve been talking about for years are finally becoming part of the larger and more mainstream conversations about artists rights and an ethical internet. Seems like there is a little bit more than a slight draft blowing on house of cards that Silicon Valley has built. Here’s a quick recap. […]